The present invention relates to ventilated garments, and, in particular, to a ventilating panel and pocket assembly for a garment.
When operating fast moving, relatively open vehicles such as motorcycles, bicycles, and some aircraft, the use of protective apparel is important. However, to be useful, protective apparel must be comfortable enough to wear. Many of the garments commonly used for such applications, such as leather suits and jackets, are unacceptably uncomfortable because they provide poor ventilation. Poor ventilation can be a serious problem during warm or moderate weather.
Wearing poorly ventilated protective apparel is uncomfortable on warm days because poor ventilation causes excessive heat buildup. As a result, the wearer may discard the apparel on warm days. Alternatively, the wearer may partially unfasten the front of the garment to provide some ventilation. However, wearing an unfastened garment can be hazardous when traveling at high speed. Air trapped by the opened garment causes billowing or ballooning of the garment and generates unstable forces on the wearer.
Ventilation systems for protective garments are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,715 issued to Miller et al. discloses a vented garment having a linear closure element, e.g., a zipper, provided on the garment, with an air permeable material extending in a rough xe2x80x9cCxe2x80x9d shape from the edges of the closure element. The vents are adjustably opened by an associated zipper. With the vents opened, the garment would distort in use, providing a poor fit to the wearer. U.S. Pat. No. 4,513,451 issued to Brown discloses a garment with openings that are spanned by a stretchable mesh fabric. Variable closure elements adjustably cover the openings to permit selective control of the effective area of the opening, and thus selective control over the air flow through the opening. The Brown garment does provide effective ventilation; however, because of the stretchable nature of the mesh fabric, it provides a relatively poor fit to the wearer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,099 to Kratz discloses a ventilated protective garment having mesh vents at various locations on the garment, particularly at locations requiring little protection, such as the armpits and throat. Air scoops in the garment allow airflow into the mesh vents and through the garment. The Kratz garment does not, however, permit the wearer to selectively control the amount and location of ventilation.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a ventilating panel for a garment with an improved ventilation system.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a ventilating panel for a garment that offers increased comfort and simplicity of design.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a ventilating panel for a garment with an adjustable ventilation system that provides increased ventilation over the body of the wearer.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the appended drawings and description thereof.
The present invention provides a ventilating panel and pocket assembly for a garment. According to one aspect of the present invention, the panel is preferably made of an air impervious sheet and includes an interior void region, which forms a venting opening allowing air to pass through the panel. The interior void region is defined by a border, which includes two opposing side portions, a top portion extending between first ends of the two opposing side portions, and a bottom portion extending between the second ends of the two opposing side portions. In a preferred embodiment, the interior void region has a substantially rectangular shape. The interior void region also can be defined with other shapes, for example, a trapezoidal shape.
A first at least partially air permeable sheet spans the interior void region. The peripheral edges of the air permeable sheet are attached to the side, top and bottom portions of the interior void region by stitches or by other means. The first air permeable sheet is made of an air permeable material, such as a mesh or otherwise perforated material, which admits air into and out of the garment.
A second at least partially air permeable sheet is attached to the panel, preferably along portions of the border of the first air permeable sheet, forming a pocket with the first at least partially air permeable sheet. The second air permeable sheet includes two opposing edges coupled to the two opposing side portions of the interior void region, and a bottom edge coupled to the bottom portion of the interior void region. The top edge of the first air permeable sheet and the top edge of the second air permeable sheet define an opening for the pocket formed by the two sheets. The second sheet can be entirely air permeable or partially air permeable, and also is made of a mesh or other air permeable materials.
In one preferred embodiment, the pocket is provided with peripheral panels. The peripheral panels include two side panels and one bottom panel. The two side panels are connected to the two opposing side edges of the second sheet and the two opposing side portions the interior void region. The bottom panel is connected to the bottom edge of the second sheet and the bottom portion of the interior void region. The first air permeable sheet, the second air permeable sheet, and the peripheral panels form the pocket, which has a height H. The height H can vary as desired. The peripheral panels are preferably air impermeable.
The panel also includes a flexible air impervious cover sheet disposable over the second air permeable sheet. The cover sheet includes a top edge fixedly coupled to the second air permeable sheet near the top edge thereof. The cover sheet also includes two opposing side edges and a bottom edge adapted for releasable coupling respectively to the side edges and the bottom edge of the second air permeable sheet by a closure assembly, when the cover sheet overlies the second air permeable sheet. The closure assembly is preferably a hook and loop fastener, or a zipper, such that the cover sheet may be selectively attached to or offset from the side edges or bottom edge of the second air permeable sheet to adjust the venting area of the venting opening, thus to regulate the air flow into and through the garment. The closure assembly is preferably water proofed.
The panel further includes a flap extending from the top portion of the border of the interior void region to a distal end. A fixation assembly is disposed on the distal end of the flap and the cover sheet at the back side, which faces the second air permeable sheet when the cover sheet overlies the second air permeable sheet. When the cover sheet is rolled up, to adjust the venting area of the venting opening, the cover sheet is attached to the flap by the fixation assembly. In one preferred embodiment, the fixation assembly includes a hook and loop fastener. In an alternative form, the fixation assembly uses a magnetic fastener, instead of a hook and loop fastener. Other fasteners may be used as well.
The arrangement of the panel and the pocket assembly combines a ventilation system with a storage pocket, thus providing the wearer with an increased comfort and convenience.
The panel and the pocket assembly with air venting system is preferably used in jacket as illustrate in the figures, but the panel described herein are also applicable to any type of garment, including, for example, pants, vests, leggings, chaps, gloves, and full-body suits.